Attorneys Ryan Hancock, Jordan Konell, and Samuel Datlof File Suit on Behalf of Union Employees of University of the Arts in Wake of School’s Sudden Closure

The University of the Arts recently announced its closure, giving its employees and students only one week’s notice before the school shut down on June 7, 2024. University president Kerry Walk cited declining enrollment and unanticipated expenses in an announcement made on May 31. Former employees have now filed two lawsuits against the university, claiming the sudden closure violates the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act’s requirement that workers receive at least 60 days of notice before a mass layoff.

Willig, Williams & Davidson attorneys Ryan A. Hancock, Jordan Konell, and Samuel H. Datlof represent University of the Arts union members in one of the complaints, which seeks putative class status and damages for violations of the WARN Act and the Pennsylvania Wage Payment and Collection Law.

Hancock, the lead attorney, chairs the firm’s employment law group. He recently represented Amazon delivery drivers in an unpaid overtime wages lawsuit, which resulted in a $1.2 million settlement. He also currently represents nursing assistants in a federal collective action against a nursing home company in the Midwest.

Konell joined the firm in 2022 after earning a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree from Yale University. He previously served as a legislative aide for Philadelphia City Councilwoman Helen Gym.

Datlof joined the firm in 2024 after serving as lead employment attorney at Justice at Work Pennsylvania, an organization which provides legal representation to low-income and immigrant workers. He received his law degree from Harvard Law School.

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